Bangkok art galleries by district: BACC, Charoen Krung and beyond
Bangkok art galleries come in three types: the public institutions around Siam, the shophouse galleries of Charoen Krung and the commercial spaces on Sukhumvit's side streets. Add a modern-art museum on the northern expressway and a biennale that takes over temples every two years, and there is enough for a full day or a full week. Here is the city's art, district by district.
Siam: BACC and Jim Thompson
BACC, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, is the place to start. The white spiral building opposite MBK at National Stadium BTS has free exhibitions across its upper floors, from student shows to major Thai and international surveys, plus a library, an art bookshop and small craft shops on the lower levels. It is air-conditioned, central and connected to the skywalk, which makes it the easiest culture stop in the city.
A short walk along the canal, the Jim Thompson Art Center beside the silk merchant's house shows textiles and contemporary art in a new purpose-built gallery. Nearby on Lang Suan, the 100 Tonson Foundation stages long-run exhibitions by single artists. See the Siam guide.
Charoen Krung and Bang Rak
The old riverside trading road is now the official creative district. TCDC, the Thailand Creative and Design Center, occupies the Grand Postal Building with design exhibitions and a materials library. Behind it, Warehouse 30 is a row of converted godowns with shops, a cinema room and occasional shows, and ATT 19 on Soi 30 is a gallery and antiques house in a renovated school. Nova Contemporary, one of the city's most serious commercial galleries, moved to a larger space on Si Phraya Road in the same district in 2025.
On Pan Road off Silom, the Kathmandu Photo Gallery shows photography in a restored shophouse. River City at Si Phraya pier has auction previews and gallery floors, and towards Chinatown, Bangkok Kunsthalle has turned a derelict printing house into a huge raw exhibition hall. Bangkok CityCity Gallery on Sathorn Soi 1 is the other must-see commercial space, with a strong Thai contemporary roster. The Charoen Krung guide and Talat Noi guide map the walk.
Sukhumvit
The galleries here sit in villas on the side sois. SAC Gallery on Sukhumvit 39 is the largest, a four-floor house in Phrom Phong with rotating Thai and regional shows. Koi Art Gallery on Sukhumvit 31 focuses on emerging artists. WTF Gallery on Sukhumvit 51, above a bar of the same name, has a reputation for political and documentary work. See the Phrom Phong guide.
Ekkamai and Phra Khanong
Ekkamai has fewer white-cube galleries than its neighbours and more design studios, furniture showrooms and bars that hang shows on their walls. The W District complex at Phra Khanong has Hof Art Space for young Thai artists, and pop-up exhibitions turn up in Ekkamai cafes and warehouses, so search the map for current listings. The Ekkamai guide covers the district.
Further out: MOCA and the Biennale
MOCA Bangkok, the Museum of Contemporary Art on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, holds a private collection of modern Thai painting and sculpture across five floors; it needs a taxi from Chatuchak. The Bangkok Art Biennale runs from roughly October to February in even-numbered years, with works installed in temples, malls and warehouses across the city, and the map carries its venues when it is on.
Getting there
- BACC and Jim Thompson Art Center: National Stadium BTS.
- 100 Tonson: Chit Lom BTS.
- TCDC, Warehouse 30, ATT 19, Nova Contemporary: Saphan Taksin BTS, or Si Phraya pier by express boat.
- Bangkok CityCity: Lumphini MRT.
- SAC and Koi: Phrom Phong BTS.
- WTF: Thonglor BTS.
- MOCA: taxi from Mo Chit BTS or Lat Phrao MRT.
Most galleries close on Mondays and some on Sundays too; check the venue before a special trip.